The Buddle Inn in Isle of Wight

On positive points - beautiful place full of character- friendly and attentive staff - nice setting and decor. . On negative side - very cold and not comfortable at all. Lovely old open fireplace that had a few remaining glowing embers in it but front door wide open for duration of our visit. I didn’t take my coat off whilst we were there as was just too cold. We had a roast lunch , it being Sunday. Nice menu but the portions were extremely miserly especially for the prices. I had loin of pork at £18 and got just 2 small slices of rather dry pork. Little square of crackling which wasn’t particularly good. There was very little veg - the Yorkshire pudding was very nice as were the roast potatoes. It was a pity that the rest of the meal didn’t match up. The others in our party of 7 were equally unimpressed I’m afraid. The cauliflower cheese was very poor , just mush in a sauce and was cold in the middle, we had to ask for it to be heated up. Just not good enough at all. I suspect the kitchen was having a bad day as on the table next to us a Gentleman was in full flow complaining about his meal. One of our party also had to ask for the crumble to be heated up as it was lukewarm. Such a shame as it could have been so much better.

Great stop for yummy lunch . Friendly staff .

Sunday lunch, good selection; adapted roast for gluten free. Menu less clear than could be. Excellent hostess, personable team, keen and willing. Clean, pleasant loos. Lovely outdoor space and Seaview. Highly recommend

Always been part of the Island coach tour. Returned for a lunch with friends. Chose the prawn and crab sandwiches, which were delicious. Quick service. Currently undergoing some repair work, but really worth a visit either for food or just a drink

How have we missed this all these years of holidaying on the Isle of Wight?! Slightly hidden away but well worth the journey - and lots of shortish walks nearby - although be aware that some cliff top walks are closed due to cliff falls. However back at the Buddle… such friendly service and very interesting decor only surpassed by the brilliant food - my husband’s budget was good apparently, but my seafood platter was wonderful - sorry, I forgot to photograph it until part way through such was my eagerness to eat it! The IoW rum and chocolate desert was delicious too. We have added this to our list of must visit places for our next holiday; thank you.

Had a table booked for later in the week. Accidently happen to come across it though when walking and ended up staying for Sunday lunch. Live duet playing and place was buzzing. Gorgeous day but forced to sit inside. Ordered Sunday lunch but leathery potatoes ( which were swapped) and a dinner that was not that hot lead us to cancel the dinner reservation for later in the week. Service was good and price reasonable for the Island.

Lovely meal tonight. Really chilled and relaxing atmosphere. Cosy with the real fire going. Staff were very friendly and service was top notch. Thank you..we will be back xx

Lovely old pub , friendly service with great menu.

The food at The Buddle has gone up a notch since we last visited. We really enjoyed our meals and ate there twice in the week. Very pleasant staff too.

Stopped for lunch and drinks this weekend with a large group of friends - amazing food, stunning views and top notch service from Teal and team who couldn’t have been more helpful. Thanks again and see you soon!

Brilliant food and service for a large group. Would recommend to anyone

We recently visited with a group of around 20 for a stag do, and our experience was bloomin lovely. Teal was great to work with in the build-up to the event, making the planning process easy and stress-free. On the day, the staff were incredibly accommodating, even letting us change our seating arrangement at the last minute to enjoy the sunshine in their gorgeous beer garden. Several people changed their pre-orders and added extras on the day, but everything was handled smoothly and with a friendly attitude. The food was outstanding, and everyone left with a massive, satisfied grin on their chops! I highly recommend this place for any group event :)

Delicious meal.full.of flavour Warm welcome from staff Speedy service

Highly recommended. Lovely pub, with great food and the people who run it are extremely nice too. One of whom ran out in the pouring rain, to return my wife's handbag that she had left behind! Will return in future trips to the Island

We often spend time in Niton and a walk to the Buddle is always a treat. New food menu and attentive staff, everything was delicious. It’s ’nice Pub’ standard, rather than gourmet, but none the worse for that. Beautiful views and a lovely building, too

Disappointed with food quality and value for money. 4 people £40 per head for mediocre food. Awful seafood platter. We have given it three goes this season. That’s enough now. Long for the old days of character and caring for the food in this place. Often many empty tables now, but a few years ago it was hard to get in. Tells its own story.

Stopped for dinner, first time sat inside rather than in their garden and what a delight that was. Dog friendly, great good, lovely service, and great ambience.

Good beer, good food, good service. Even supplied a sunny day, we'll be back.

Outside tables have great views. Staff are welcoming and efficient. However menu was very standard with no standout dish and no specials when we went for dinner. Meals themselves were somewhat bland.

The food was really nice here and the staff were incredibly friendly. We sat outside in the beer garden which has a lovely sea view. Well worth a visit for a drink or some food.

I went to the buddle last weekend for lunch with one of my friends and the food was absolutely delicious, very highly recommended. The staff were amazing aswell and so friendly and approachable, shocking the staff don't get a service charge though for all the hard work they do!

We enjoyed our meal. I was a bit disappointed that there were no specials as they had run out but our meals from the main menu were good.

Delicious food, incredible views and really friendly staff! Highly recommend

The food is very poor quality , even if the prices are high you expect good wholesome food . But high prices and very poor food is not the way to get customers back. You need to go to other pubs sample there food and you will see why I have written this note .this place is marketed for the one off holiday maker not for the supporting locals The staff lovely people Kind regards Dave

We enjoyed our night at the buddle inn, staff were helpful, food tasted good and we benefitted from the dog friendly nature of the venue. We did however come to learn that the optional service charge on the bill does not go to the staff that were serving us. I'd highly recommend bringing some cash to pay tips for any good service!

Have been here twice while staying nearby for a week in the Isle of Wight. The first time was good (although the veg was forgotten with our meals) however tonight was great. The risotto and linguine were delicious and our server Jason was fantastic and made our visit great. Heard from another table that the tips on card do not go to the staff, which is such a shame as the staff are so good and a very poor decision from higher up. Overall fab but let your servers have the tips they deserve!

Fantastic pub with great food and a very friendly team. It's great to sit in the garden and have a view of the sea. When the weather is bad, it's super cozy as the fire burns inside. When you sit in the garden there is no through traffic and it is very quiet in this area. I've been coming to this pub for almost ten years and I always look forward to going there when I'm on vacation for two months. Keep it up

Always a pleasure to visit this atmospheric pub. The food is of a reasonable standard with good, family choices. There is a great outdoor space here, and live music is occasionally played here during the summer. The pub is dog friendly. Wheelchair accessible parking is across a reasonably quiet road. The pub itself is wheelchair accessible.

Went for lunch last week with friends. Upon arrival they had no record of my booking, although fortunately plenty of free tables.The food overall was good, although in my view the desserts were minimum value. The staff tried hard but slightly irritating to constantly called 'you guys' all the time. We had to find our own condiments and it did not feel like they were very interested in our experience. Such a shame as it is in a great location. Personally I would not return.

We didn’t stay here but we came for food and drink! We sat at the bar and had their 3.8abv ale which was specially brewed for them….. it’s absolutely delicious… Tristian and Teal were the standout members of staff…. Teal met us and greeted us… offered a table or seating the bar, couldn’t do enough, given even we didn’t know if we were eating. We were cautious because of the reviews we read but we shouldn’t have been! I write this review finishing my incredible rump steak, perfectly mid rare, my partner very happy with her steak and ale pie, the evening, the staff, the setting, the food all 10/10. Ignore the other reviews…. This is the one that counts. Thursday 8th August 2024

Came here a year before and it was phenomenal! So decided to come again this year but was met with disappointment. The service was slow and disorganised. Getting drinks required 20 minutes wait each round. In terms of the food, I ordered the seafood platter as the mussels I had last year were so delicious! It ended up being so disappointing. Everything seemed as if it was taken out from a jar - cold and bland - you can imagine the lasting fishy taste on your tongue. A whole £17 too! Such a waste. Overall, such a disappointment on this second visit. We were told that they had only released this menu recently - clearly they need quite a revise.

Lovely food and a good range of beers..with views overlooking the sea...quiet location...tranquility!

Not great experience here sadly. We visited the Ilse of Wight for the day and stopped in here for lunch. The table we were sat on and surrounding area were really dirty.. I did mention this when leaving and the managers response was that she acknowledged this was true but the cleaner had been off for the week. I would have thought maybe someone else could have had a quick wipe around..! Seemed a bit odd to blame it on the cleaners absence. The kids menu was scrawled on a bit of a5 scrap paper and had been written in blue colouring pencil with biro scribbles on the paper. We were told there were no specials. We ordered a fish finger sandwich for our 5 year old but requested no tartar sauce as she wouldn't eat it. Unfortunately the waitress forgot to communicate this with the kitchen and so she got it with, we sent it back and asked for no tartar again, they obviously just chucked the fish fingers back in the fryer as they were really hard and looked over fried when we got the sandwich back. The lady serving us said the kids could have their mains come out as soon as they were ready and so the kids could eat while we were having starters. Great we thought.. the problem was the second waitress got confused and thought the kids were eating starters after our starter plates had been collected by the other waitress. We sat without food while our kids very slowly ate. Eventually when they were finished the waitress brought us our meals which she said had been sat in the kitchen for ages! The mash and veg were stone cold and bits of the burger were so burnt they were inedible. Our kids then had to sit with nonfood while we ate bits of the meal. No one came to ask us how our meal was. Eventually we spoke to the manager who agreed that the food didn't look great, apologised and refunded just two of the meals that couldn't be eaten.. still a bit gutted as we paid £50 for disappointing food, poor service and in a dirty restaurant. Put a damper on our day out- needless to say we won't return but wanted to leave a review with some photos so others don't also feel the same disappointment we felt.

Another pub that rates customers dining more than those coming in for drinks We would have eaten there later this week had it not have been for our experience tonight Were seated in a window seat It was a kitchen run so could here all the banter in there in but worse the door to the Gents was left open and pinned back , don't know why , so we could here everything that went on in there !!! The food , looked average , nothing exciting Having sat in this position , as all the other tables around were set for dining , I would NOT want to eat there , sorry Another gorgeous looking pub ....but not what it seemed 😕

Great pub, had a guy playing music who was good but very loud. We Couldn't hear each other talk.

Beautiful pub overlooking the sea, food was good, a bit pricey but not too bad,

Incredible location, beautiful old pub. Perfect for a summer lunch. Make sure you book!

Burger was too small, too greasy , bun black horrible bacon bits on it fries small and pale, so much better last year .

Busy little pub in a fantastic location. Recommend the sandwiches wuth chips on the side.

Food was very poor under cooked

Lovely quiet country pub overlooking the sea

My crab brushetta arrived burnt. Sent it back and 2nd attempt was warm bread. When complained was told first one wasn't that burnt! My Gazpacho was far too salty. My wife's fish n chips were good and other pub grub being served looked fine. Probably best to order standard fare.

Beautiful inn, with views of the coast. Plenty of seating inside and out and dog friendly.

Lovely pub, nice staff, good beer, but not much choice on the menu, and no specials board. Would come back for a drink, in the lovely garden, but sadly, not for food.

First visit, seems like a lovely pub. We're going back tomorrow for lunch so watch this space... 4* so far.

Fantastic pub, with a great menu and super attentive staff. Can recommend the sandwiches looking out at the sea view.

Great food, atmosphere and service. Highly recommended

£46 for a pork dinner and a burger, plus a JD and coke and a j20. Lovely food, well cooked, but expensive.

Very unfriendly service and food was cold when it finally came out wouldn't recommend going there

Great food and, if sitting outside in the front garden, fantastic views

Lovely pub tucked away on southern tip of the island. Sea views from the garden. Nice menu, fish pie was excellent. Excellent service, thanks very much.

Lovely meal, great service by front of house i highly recommend

Lovely pub in a glorious location. We enjoyed a delicious couple of pints, only downside was slow service at the bar.

This was absolutely glorious. Staying in the Isle of Wight for a week, on the last night we fancied something special and boy did this live up to what we wanted. Went with my wife and 2 children and having not booked, chanced it. We were very lucky! It wasn't hugely busy and we got a table but the advice is to book a few days in advance. Service was great and all were very polite. The food was amazing and so was the atmosphere. We will definitely look to return on our trip back! Brilliant.

After a 20+ year absence we returned to the Buddle and it was as good as we remembered 😊😊😊

Food is basic but tasty, like the option of smaller plates. Staff and service was great. Love the building and the location. Will be back.

Fabulous location, lovely beer and atmosphere. Food was a couple of tweaks from being excellent. Scampi & fries was great but peas were served meanly in a tiny little pot. Likewise, the bread starter was tiny for the price. Small things really.

We spent a week in Niton as we do every Easter and used The Buddle Inn regularly throughout the week! The new team are amazing and the food spot on! The new referb has really lightened up the pub! Can't wait to see you next year! Thanks Rich & Bec

We had a Sunday roast here last week, nicely laid out pub with friendly service and a good selection of roasts, including a 3 meat option presumably aimed at those ponderous people who keep the wait staff stuck whilst them um and ahh away. Food was good overall but this is only a 3 star review because of the travesy that was the cheeseboard option - 4 tiny wedges of cheese plus biscuits etc. for £12...! It should either be twice the size or half the price!

Since new management it has changed for the better !! Fantastic gastro pub Excellent food Staff were friendly Prices very reasonable And good size and quality meals Will definitely be back soon

A pub that has managed to maintain its character serving good food and excellent service. I thought the food price was a little high in comparison but very tasty.

We have visited a lot in the past so we're hoping for good things. We were sadly disappointing. Menu is very limited if you don't eat fish. 5 of 10 dishes available are fish. No veg served with steak or salad with burger nor available separately. Small portions for a pub and the high price. Sadly we won't be returning.

The place is in a beautiful setting and recently has had a lot of money spent on it but for us not all good. We often have visited over the years but I think it’s lost its cosiness plus the food quality is no longer as good. So, would return for a drink but not food.

Great location and good outdoor space with parking. Staff were nice enough. However the beef brisket was poor, very chewy and somewhat inedible. The rest of the meal was fine, but for the price of £18 per meal, the quality wasn’t there.

A lovely pub that we’ve visited for many years but the food tonight was sadly a huge disappointment, the fish pie contained one type of fish mashed together with cream and some piped potato, for £19 with no sides (other than very dense tasteless bread) it lacked any kind of flavour, the hot pot was also quite tasteless, burgers were ok. Service was very good. A real shame as we won’t return again for food.

WAS a great Pub before the refurb now an AMAZING Pub but food, staff and location still the vert best

11/10 in all areas! I don’t usually take the time to write a review but the Buddle Inn deserved one. We were warmly greeted and treated to the best fish pie I’ve ever had. Coupled with a pint of Islander ale and looked after excellently by the team, this pub should not be missed on your visit. We visited on a Monday, but I’m reliably told that there is live music on Fridays which sounds lovely!

Having been here before, the service and food was less good than in the past. Weren't asked about desserts, were put on a table right next to extremely hot radiator. Expensive uninspiring menu and suspected dodgy food as 2 members of my group had a tummy reaction after a meal. Tomato salad very simple and disappointing for £6. Not all bad but it has been better in the past. Staff seem to have changed too, previously had the same people for many years. Smaller portions than in the past. Live entertainment on Saturday night was unfortunately more like karaoke, two singers with a very loud speaker machine. It may improve once they have been operating for a few weeks but I think it's just because it is part of the Character Inns chain that is the problem

Lovely old pub, but what a let down on the food, very disappointing. We ordered smoked oakwood croquettes, which looked lovely but arrived stone cold, lacking in flavour. For mains we order the beef brixsket and the three meat roast. This sadly arrived stone cold, so was sent back to be re cooked! We were offered an apology and complimentary drinks. The new meals arrived and again looked lovely but yorkshires were stone cold for the second time, offered a new Yorkshire but decided that given the wait for these we would be best to cut our loses. Whilst waiting for our bill, another couple sent their meals bs l as cold and a third couple complained their meals were cold. For the pleasure of voicing our concerns, no deduction off the bill except for the service charge and the cold roast meals!

Food was a disappointment, warm, veg needed cooking a bit more and pricing was too high.

It was our first visit to this pub and it won’t be our last! The food was absolutely lovely the scotch egg was gorgeous and the burgers were amazing. And the smoked applewood cheese croquettes are definitely worth a try! Just a shame there’s not more of them 😂

I’ve got various food issues and the staff here were amazing. Nothing was too much trouble. They are kind and friendly. The pub has a great atmosphere! We saw nothing of the ‘spiritual kind’ but can imagine what fun it would be!

Great decor. Lovely atmosphere. . Friendly efficient staff and superb food. What is not to like. Best pub on the Island?

A delightful setting with friendly, welcoming staff. We were expertly looked after, especially the two hangry kids, and the whole family agreed that the food was delicious. I particularly recommend the Buddle Burger. All in all, a great find.

We have been here a few times but not since last year In our last review (photo attached) we were positive about most things Today's experience means we are unlikely to return It was Easter Monday and there was a very limited boring menu Other times we have always found something unusual and tasty This trip the choice was so poor we felt a roast was basically our only option My chicken was burnt (see photo) The table next to us complained their food arrived cold The Yorkshire puddings looked shop bought and were tasteless. We asked for pepper and it arrived in little paper sachets like you get in a motorway cafe!

Recently reopened after a refurb and the pub looks great. We had a fantastic meal, great atmosphere and live music. The food was really good and it has one of the best gluten free options I have seen on the island. Really recommend it.

Went on Easter Saturday for dinner with the family. A great atmosphere and a brilliant duo playing live, they were really excellent, We used to go a lot before it shut down over winter and always loved it, sadly at least for this visit the food was not good. Far better before the shut down. I’d say a 3 because the fish and chips were ok, the starters good but the hake was really poor, very small portion swimming in a congealed bland sauce. And the burger was really poor, burger very very small, completely overcooked, and tough. A shame as still a great pub, friendly staff but the food was honestly poor. I’m sure we will be back but really hope they sort out the kitchen/ chef.

We had a fabulous lunch on Good Friday. The food was excellent and served by welcoming and friendly staff. One of our party is Gluten Free and the menu options were great and the staff really helped to make sure the GF options were fully explained. Would recommend The Buddle Inn. We will be back.

The starters and desserts were good. However the main course meals were just average and looked and tasted as though they had been mass produced and made well in advance. So a bit disappointed given the good reviews I had read.

Excellent Sunday roast. I wasn’t particularly hungry and was able to have a child portion which was great. Really good to see it so busy. Just hoping that as spring progresses they will allow outside dining, like before, as we had our 2 dogs with us and it’s much more relaxing to sit outside on the terrace.

A short trip from Ventnor this lovely old building serving real local cal ales & spirits . The garden overlooks the sea on the south coast of the Isle of Wight. Service was great if a little slow on the day we went. However it didn’t affect the enjoyment. We will be back .

Absolutely fabulous customer service, busy Sunday lunch service and everything was perfect. Highly recommend this pub for the ambiance, food and setting.

sunday lunch 17th march. £18 to £22 a plate. Over priced and quite frankly very average. Lamb almost uneatable. There are many better places. shame because place and ambience are nice.

Took my wife and 4 girls. What a lovely place with a lovely atmosphere. The food was too die for and the options for the kids plentiful, definitely worth a visit just for the Sunday lunch alone!

Excellent Sunday roast and pudding. Very friendly staff and a great location. We lucked out catching it on the last night of opening for the season.

Lovely location with views of the coast. Food was delicious (lasagne excellent) and staff were really welcoming. Convenient parking across the road. Dog friendly.

Haven't been here for some time, popped in to have Sunday lunch, wish I'd not had the roast- pork and beef had soggy fat and the green beans were almost raw. Potatoes barely cooked and the whole thing was tepid. Last meal I had there was amazing, such a beautiful place with lovely staff, such a shame.

Car park across the road. Terrace lovely in summer. Traditional pub/restaurant. Friendly service. Meals and desserts okay. Typical pub grub. Friendly service. Bags of character. Fidelscastrol.

Stopped for drink, weather was lovely so sat in the garden.

Had dinner tonight first visit food and service very good nice looking pub lots of character good value

This pub is not only cozy and has a wonderful view, the king prawn spaghetti are to die for !!!

Came here on an evening and about to order from the Sunday roast menu and told that there were no Yorkshire puddings. My other half ordered the Sunday roast anyway: she left most of the roast potatoes as they were as hard as cannon balls. We asked the waiter when they were made and we were told they were made at lunchtime so they had potentially been sat on a hot plate for 8 hours. I'm neither a pub owner or a chef but how difficult can it be to prepare YP batter mix and then make them fresh during the day? Same goes for the roast potatoes. Maybe they save money but having a chef cook everything at lunchtime so the staff can just dish it up warm for the rest of the day. Poor show. The White Lion up the road is a much better bet. 2 stars as they had decent cask ales and the young waiter was unerringly polite and helpful.

Great pub, very good food and great atmosphere, I recommend it. We stayed here for one night Staff very friendly, I recommend it Beautiful sunrise

Good beer and food (bit pricey)

Lovely pub. We went after checking menu for dietary requirements. Mains were good ,I need dairy free.so the risotto was suitable .only vegan ice cream suitable but told they don't have any as nobody asks for it.??? Even though its on the menu. Sorry this is a dietary requirement,not a lifestyle choice.

Had a wonderful lunch here, good selection of beers and wines

Has a late Sunday lunch, and everything from the menu was still available. Really delicious and plentiful meal. Very pleasant staff and great ambience.

Lovely Inn with lots of Character. Devilled Kidney beans were great, got quite a kick tho, so not for the feint hearted. Main course of lemon and Thyme chicken burger was terrible!! Had to ask the waiter for the raw slaw ....but then wished I hadn't! Chips were obviously oven chips.....white in colour. Couldn't taste any lemon or thyme. Dessert was a summer fruit crumble and was the highlight of the meal, could have done with a bit more custard but it didn't spoil it. Will I go again? Probably not, unless it's just for a pudding .

Lovely pub and location but the toilets have got to be the worst ones I’ve used for a while. Dirty and very smelly!!!!

Great place to chill out in the afternoon sun